Are these Omega 3/6 intakes too high ??, Quinoa ??

Hi all,

Have been following the forum and recently started on the paleo journey and really wanted to thank you all so much for the contributions provided. What a great source of information and it all just makes sense to me....

I have lost some weight (albeit harder lately) and most of all feel much better then I did pre paleo days. I have a couple of questions;

1. I track my food intake using cron-o-meter and it says that my daily omega 3 intake is between 15-25 grams per day (mostly from oils like udo, eggs, hemp hearts, savi seeds, nut butters, etc). A lot of ALA sources, with a fish thrown into the mix every day or two.
Is this too much omega 3 ? And if yes, what should my ideal daily range be?
I was looking for more fats and proteins, so the above mentioned foods served me well.
My omega 6 is usually 20-30 grams per day.
IF either/both are too high, any other suggestions on fatty foods with/without protein that dont have omega 3 ??

2. I have cut most grains but still eat some quinoa daily. I know it is not recommended, I soak it overnight and cook it in my meat stock broth. It doesn't seem to bother my stomach right now per say, but I suffer from ulcerative colitis, and just came out of a pretty bad flare up. Based on that, would you recommend I ditch it altogether ? I know the SCD/GAPS diets I was looking at earlier were also very adamant on cutting out ALL grains...

3. I seem to have extreme hunger cravings, especially in the afternoon and evenings. sometimes ravenous. No idea why or where they come from. Would it be best to stay under 100 carbs for now ?

Sorry for all the questions, its all new to me, so exciting
Thanks so much and have a great day

ALA is not easily converted to EPA and DHA. Why are you eating so much plant-based omega-3's? I'd cut that out entirely, and seek to keep omega-6's a lot lower as well to keep your ratios in check. Don't count the plant-based omega-3's at all, except as rancid poisons in your bloodstream and gut.

Point #1 - God yes. Polyunsaturated fat in general - being omega 3 or omega 6 - is unstable. Omega 3 is actually more unstable than omega 6 - it is longer chain and more prone to oxidation. ALA omega 3 is virtually useless for males and very ineffective for females because it cannot be converted into EPA/DHA with any measurable efficiency within the body. You're just confusing fragile, unstable fats for really no benefit. As for fish oils, they are even MORE unstable - EPA and DHA are the two most unstable fats. If I were you, I'd work on removing polyunsaturated fat from my diet instead of trying to balance out some ratio, which is completely ineffective IMO. Especially remove the ALA's. There is no NEED to supplement omega 3. Simply reduce your intake of PUFA's and you'll be alright. If you want some fish here and there, have at it, but there's no reason to jam omega's down your throat. I refuse to take fish oil because of how insanely unstable it is, not to mention how low-quality fish oil typically is (farmed fish, highly refined, transported in hot trucks across the country, sits out on the shelves under fluorescent lighting for weeks or months at room temperature...it's probably at least partially rancid when you buy it).

Just eat real food. Your best sources are fats are going to be ruminant meat (beef, lamb, goats, deer, buffalo, etc), grassfed dairy and eggs. I do some wild caught fish here and there, limited poultry and I try to keep pork intake the lowest of them all. Farmed fish never.

Point #2 - If you like quinoa, it's a real gray area. I would never eat it. I don't see the point. It's just a pseudo-grain; it has little nutritional value versus meats, fruits and vegetables and frankly doesn't taste like anything unless you flavor it by other means. Sort of like oatmeal. The fats it contains are less than ideal and it still comes with a considerable anti-nutrient profile. However, I'm not going to tell you what to do with your body. I would recommend you go 30 days without it in your diet at all and see if you feel better and if you add it back in and feel no ill effects, you might be alright eating it sometimes. However, you will ALWAYS be better off cutting out ALL GRAINS AND PSEUDOGRAINS. Even if you do not have an issue digesting it, it is still low nutrition per calorie and you'd be healthier displacing it with real food.

Point #3 - What is your situation? Are you very overweight? Do you have severe blood glucose control issues or are you diabetic? If not and your metabolism is stable, there's no reason to exercise any carbohydrate restriction. The Carbohydrate Curve in the book is insanely flawed. Eliminating grains and added sugars are a great idea because they don't keep you full - you'll tend to overeat. You probably won't do that with potatoes, sweet potatoes and fruit. A serving of pasta is 2 ounces. Chances are, when you eat a bowl of spaghetti, you're eating 3 servings and you're hungry 2 hours later. A 6 oz serving of pasta has 635 calories and 129g of carbohydrate (Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Spaghetti, dry, enriched). You can eat that effortlessly. Do you know what you'd have to consume with potatoes to get that?

Relax, and as long as you're eating whole foods you'll do great! Meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers...do not discriminate. If you are craving something specifically, there's probably a reason. Just make sure you make good associations in your head. For example:

Are you craving cookies, cakes or brownies? Maybe you want sugar. Eat fruit - it'll kill your craving for sweets.
Are you craving pizza, pasta or bread? Maybe you want starch. Eat potatoes or sweet potatoes - it'll kill your craving for starch.
Are you craving ice cream? That could be sugar OR fat. This is where steak and sweet potatoes come to the rescue! They go perfectly together and have nice fat, starch and caramelized sugar (if you make them til syrupy!) to go along to kill any craving.

ALA is not easily converted to EPA and DHA. Why are you eating so much plant-based omega-3's? I'd cut that out entirely, and seek to keep omega-6's a lot lower as well to keep your ratios in check. Don't count the plant-based omega-3's at all, except as rancid poisons in your bloodstream and gut.

This man right here is a genius, and not just for a username with a Will Ferrell reference.

When I see people eating hemp seeds, chia seeds, baking with flax seeds...all I see is them making varnish in their kitchen! These are DRYING OILS. They go rancid when the slightest bit of heat and light are applied...and you're going to COOK THEM? They make that fantastic glassy finish on seasoned cast iron because the fats explode and turn into glass when heat is applied. That is happening in your arteries when you eat that stuff...

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.